Friday, January 23, 2009

A killer collection of 14 tracks of folk, funk, rock, salsa, dance pop and country, The Revolution Will Be Streamed is a cooperative effort by musicians and political activists coordinated by me, with a lot of help from a lot of people. Don't take my word for the quality of the music - click that picture of the radio over there and listen, I'll be streaming the whole album for the next few days on Radio Woodshed. After that, you can go to the Amazon site and listen to free samples. And if my stream is down, you can go listen to the it at the General's joint (His inner Frenchman did the cover art).

All the money raised from the sale of the MP3s available now at Amazon.com (and in a few weeks at itunes) will go to support Netroots Nation in Second Life.

Netroots Nation is a group dedicated to pushing progressive causes and candidates in the United States. It grew out of the Daily Kos website and facilitates activism, political organizing and networking in the progressive community. They aren't the only reason Barack Obama was elected, but they were an important part of the campaign and Bill O'Reilly thinks they are worse than the Klu Klux Klan, which is a good enough reason to support them on its own. Thousands attend their convention each summer. Netroots Nation in Second Life makes it possible for hundreds more to attend the convention online by streaming the various speeches and workshops in Second Life. The massive Second Life effort run simultaneously with the real life event also affords the opportunity to do the sort of networking the convention is intended to foster.

Liner notesAs the famous anarchist "Red" Emma Goldman may or may not have said: "If I can't dance, I don't want to be in your revolution"There are few things more popular in Second Life than music and dancing. After all, in a virtual universe, we are all young and fit and we can all dance like the genetically cross-bred children of Martha Graham, Fred Astaire, Alvin Ailey, Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson and Gypsy Rose Lee. But while we dance, we talk, and as often as not, we talk politics.And you can't dance without music, whether it's the hot salsa of Los Gatos, the sunny folk-funk of Richard Maynard-Langedijk, the brooding, country-flavored power-pop of Calliope's Radio or even the off-beat satirical stylings of Billy Bob Neck -- it's all here.The proceeds from this album will go to aid Netroots Nation in Second Life in its efforts to support progressive politics through online activism, networking, advocacy and work on behalf of progressives running for elected office. We are grateful to the artists for the donation of the their inspiration, creativity and hard work. And to you, the listener for contributing to this worthy cause.Special thanks to all the artists who contributed, Gen. J.C. Christian, Jillan McMillan, Jane2 McMahon, Rocky Torok, Michele Migrish, Jackson Street Books, and all the regulars at Cafe Wellstone, the Lonely Yak and the Red Zeppelin.Check out the website:http://www.nninsl.org/

Who is on the album? Who are these wonderful, talented and generous people who have given their time and creativity (and royalties) up for good cause? I'm glad you asked.

Richard Maynard-Langedijk

This singer-songwriter-guitarist-producer, who has been a stalwart at the Hillside music festival, operates out of a fortified compound in Guelph, Ontario.

Brian Lillie and the Squirrel Mountain Orchestra

Brian Lillie is a folksinger from Ann Arbor, Michigan who has been playing guitar and writing songs for over 20 years. He has performed in everything from loud, weird rock bands to sufi-inspired dance groups, but his first love has always been simple, heart-felt acoustic music. Other works include Rowboats and Good Luck Fire Chief

Spoon Spatula

Better know in Second Life as Spoon Dastardly, the most dastardly spoon in Spoontown and King of all cutlery.“Super Evil” is about a terrified pedestrian walking through dark city streets while fruitlessly attempting to project the false image that he, himself, is dangerous. Written in Hollywood, CA, in 1994 as part of a collection of songs about Los Angeles.

Los Gatos

This Michigan-based Latin Jazz quartet has a pair of albums to its credit: "Cats Got Your Tongue" and "Insight". Los Gatos plays weekly at the Firefly jazz club in Ann Arbor as well as in numerous music festivals. They have been together since 1997. "Samba Do Sueño" was originally released on Insight and the previously unreleased "Arinañara" was recorded at the Michigan Jazz Festival in 2007. Check them on video here

Black Tie Martini Club

Lead by Second Lifer and podcaster extraordinaire Caleb Bullen. Sadly, the astounding podcast which can be found here or on itunes, is on semipermanent hiatus, though the management is still throwing fans an occasional bone. Thankfully, we still have the archives.

The Extras

Terrific Canadian band from back in the day, best known for their paean to contraceptives "Circular Impressions" -- more can be learned here and here.

Billy Bob Neck

A fine upstanding conservative Christian man who's Hour of Being Good is a beacon in the darkness for us all.

Richard Ainslie

A mysterious man of mysterious talents who intends to keep it that way.

Zathfras Afarensis

Network geek? Raconteur? Rootsy, eclectic Second LIfe DJ with a KT Tunstall fixation? Minnesota-born folk singer and occasional songwriter? Guilty, on all counts.

Katherin King Segal and Charlie Brown

Katherin King Segal is a singer-songwriter from New York who is now based in Los Angeles. She teamed up with veteran studio guitarist Charlie Brown for their 2006 album Land of Beginning Again. And she is very understanding (we hope) about rookie producers who spell her name wrong.

Golgotha

Goth-tinged rockers featuring Second Lifer NTropy Sellers, "I'm not sure who this band is but they have great shoes."

Scott and Michelle Dalziel

Amazing husband and wife team who are much in demand musically in both first and Second Life. The fresh and soulful sounds of Scott and Michelle's voices, combined with their high energy performance, memorable and meaningful songwriting, and instrumental finess, put them in a category all their own. Said to have more sound than two people should be allowed, they cannot be confined to acoustic the Rock or Folk genres, as they continue to branch out intoThey R&B, Jazz, roots, and Blues. The duo were Kerrville Folk Festival finalists in 2004 and 2007, and they were selected as a featured artist of the month in 2008 by Folk Alley, one of the leading genre radio stations. Their 2007 CD, Thinking Out Loud, hit #12 on the International Folk charts.

They are also very understanding and forgiving of rookie producers who spell their name wrong in liner notes (we hope).

Calliope's Radio

Formed in mid-2006, Calliope's Radio is the dazzling product of many musical backgrounds, stories and styles. With Dana Komer's soaring vocals fronting a dynamic band, Calliope's Radio recounts haunting, beautiful and instantly classic musical stories. These Kitchener-based musicians are capable of capturing the audience with everything from Joplin-esque and Sheryl Crow alt-rock infused hooks to aching country-steel ballads, reminiscent of the Cowboy Junkies . Calliope's Radio is melody at its finest.

And for those of you among what my kids now call "Dad's cartoon friends" in Second Life - Fez Records (me) and NN in SL will be throwing a big release bash at the Netroot Nation Ballroom on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 7 pm until whenever - we will play the whole album, there will be DJs, including me, contests, prizes, dancing and plotting of revolution. Be there!

Despite the best efforts of John Yoo and Alberto Gonzales to try to weasel around it, waterboarding is torture. Failure to prosecute for torture is itself a war crime. Obama has no choice -- he must order the Justice Department to investigate and charge people where appropriate.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Speaking of protest music...

That there is the cover of the MP3 album I have spent the last month putting together. And man, is it suh-weet! 14 tracks of great music and all the money goes to Netroots Nation in Second Life. And I'll send a free copy to whoever is the 50,000 visitor to the blog, which should be sometime today -- if you think it's you, leave an email address in the comments so I can send you your prize.

I'll be putting the album into heavy rotation on Radio Woodshed when it shows up for sale on Amazon.com as an MP3 download soon -- it should be on itunes in Canada and the US in February. In the meantime, here's the liner notes and song list:

As the famous anarchist "Red" Emma Goldman may or may not have said: "If I can't dance, I don't want to be in your revolution"

There are few things more popular in Second Life than music and dancing. After all, in a virtual universe, we are all young and fit and we can all dance like the genetically cross-bred children of Martha Graham, Fred Astaire, Alvin Ailey, Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson and Gypsy Rose Lee. But while we dance, we talk, and as often as not, we talk politics.

And you can't dance without music, whether it's the hot salsa of Los Gatos, the sunny folk-funk of Richard Maynard-Langedijk, the brooding, country-flavored power-pop of Calliope's Radio or even the off-beat satirical stylings of Billy Bob Neck -- it's all here.

The proceeds from this album will go to aid Netroots Nation in Second Life in its efforts to support progressive politics through online activism, networking, advocacy and work on behalf of progressives running for elected office. We are grateful to the artists for the donation of the their inspiration, creativity and hard work. And to you, the listener for contributing to this worthy cause.

Special thanks to all the artists who contributed, Gen. J.C. Christian, Jillan McMillan, Jane2 McMahon, Rocky Torok, Michele Migrish, Jackson Street Books, and all the regulars at Cafe Wellstone, the Lonely Yak and the Red Zeppelin.

The piece lauds Bush for all same things that about 75 percent of the electorate criticism him for; the war in Iraq, the establishment of the national security torture state apparatus, the erosion of the public school system, the baby steps toward banning abortion, the administration's response to the financial catastrophe. It stops short of congratulating him for drowing all those annoying poor people in New Orleans, but maybe that is just part of his "record of unparalleled success that will be increasingly appreciated in the years to come."

Given that the author of this hagiography is none other than Marc Thiessen, Dubya's own speechwriter and former apologist for Jesse Helms, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. But most newspapers didn't ask Joesph Goebbles to write Hitler's obituary in 1945 or G. Gordon Liddy to reflect on the legacy of Nixon on the day he slunk from office.

Of all the dumbass, pig-ignorant, petty, moronic, pissy, neocon attempts at revenge, this is one of the most ill-timed. No, I don't think border services called Steverino up at 24 Sussex for marching orders, but I do know that to be denied entry you either have to arouse suspicion in the border guard that inteviews you or have you name on a list somewhere. So either the border guard involved is a FOX-watching nitwit who thought he was doing his job and "teaching those pinkos a lesson" or the someone more senior in the relevant ministry made a completely tone-deaf and idiotic decision, likely in the belief that they were doing their job and "teaching those pinkos a lesson."

Monday, January 19, 2009

"This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender"

Pete Seeger was born in 1919 and has been a lifelong political activist. He and Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly and Alan Lomax - all friends - pretty much invented American folk music. He was jailed in the 50's over his refusal to testify at the McCarthy Hearings. He put out his first studio album in 12 years a little while ago. Short of digging up Martin Luther King, I can't think of anyone better suited to preside over leading a half a million people in song on the Mall in Washington on the occasion of the inauguration of the first African American President.

Just look at that old rascal grin.

"In the square of the city, in the shadow of a steeple,

by the relief office, I'd see my people,

As they stood there hungry, I stood there whistling,

This land was made for you and me

There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me;

The sign was painted, it said 'Private Property'

But on the other side, it didn't say nothing,

That side was made for you and me.

Nobody living, can ever stop me

As I go walking that freedom highway

Nobody living can ever make me turn back

This land was made for you and me"

I noticed the HBO version of this was taken down at You'Tude within hours of being posted. Some thoughts on certain copyrights:

"This song is Copyrighted in the U.S., under Seal of Copyright # 154085, for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singin it without our permission will be mighty good friends of ourn, cause we don't give a durn. Publish it. Write it. Sing it. Swing to it. Yodel it. We wrote it, that's all we wanted to do."--Woody Guthrie